payroll
Fee Snapshot (Payroll)
Also called: pay rate snapshot, payroll snapshot
A fee snapshot is the instructor pay rate captured at the moment a class session is created — so that future changes to the instructor's rate don't rewrite past payouts.
Without snapshots, payroll is a moving target. An instructor whose rate goes from $45 to $55 per class on April 1st would see their March payroll suddenly inflate if the system simply multiplies session count by current rate. This is the most common source of payroll disputes at boutique studios.
The fix is to snapshot the rate onto the session record when the class is created or completed. Subsequent rate changes apply only to sessions created after the change date. Past sessions stay frozen.
This is a one-line item to check on any studio software demo. Ask: 'If I change an instructor's per-class rate today, does last month's payroll recalculate?' The right answer is no.
Example
An instructor's rate increases from $50 to $60 on May 1st. In April she taught 30 classes ($1,500 owed) and May 1-15 she teaches 12 classes ($720 owed). Total April + May 1-15 payroll is $2,220. Without snapshotting, the system might rewrite April at $60/class and pay her $2,520 — overpaying by $300.
Related
More terms in payroll
Instructor Pay Rate
An instructor pay rate is the per-class amount a studio pays an instructor — typically a flat fee ($30-80 per class), a per-head bonus, or a hybrid of both.
Instructor Substitute
An instructor substitute is a replacement teacher who covers a class when the scheduled instructor cancels — the studio pays the sub the class rate and decides separately whether to dock the original instructor.